Everybody likes free stuff and it is pretty easy to go about getting it if you have a little common sense. Here are some suggestions on how you can go about getting it as well.

Websites – Please be careful if you are going to someone’s house to pick something up or having someone come to your house. Having a friend or two with you can make things safer and give you someone to help you carry your new finds.

Complain About A Product – As someone who has spent more than their fair share of time dealing with customer service issues, I don’t suggest this method. There are better ways to get free stuff, including the next one.

Compliment A Product – Many companies like feedback and will reward you for giving it to them. Many times it’s with coupons, but once in awhile you can get gift cards or free samples.

Join A Rewards Program – check the products you buy regularly. Don’t fall into the trap of buying things you don’t want or need.

Take Surveys – I have personally tried this and while I am sure it works for a few people, for me it was just a waste of time. Most of the surveys I didn’t qualify for and the ones that I did qualify for didn’t give me enough points to “cash out.” Try it out if you like, but be sure it doesn’t become a waste of time for you.

So you want to plan out your characters ahead of time, but you don’t know where to start? Maybe you are writing an epic about a family, but you are having trouble keeping all the aunts and uncles separate. Perhaps you just want to make the task of writing back story for characters a little easier. Or maybe, just maybe, you are actually interested in your own genealogy and family history. Either way there are several websites that offer free resources for amateur genealogists. Writers can also use them to help with character development. Just make up what you put on the forms to fit your characters needs.

Midwest Genealogy Center – Family History Forms (The research log can also be used for general research of whatever you want to write. A great way to keep track and you can substitute a web address for the dewey number if you are doing an online search.)

Everyone likes to be smarter. Here are some websites with free brain exercises to help get your mind in gear and keep it razor sharp.

Brain Metrix I haven’t played all the games on this website, but the ones I did play were a little addictive. The games on this website work best with a mouse, rather than a laptop touch pad.

Increase Brain Power This link will take you to directly to the brain exercises page, but there are helpful tips throughout. The website seems to be simply advice and techniques you can use in your everyday life, rather than games like the first one. They do have some links to sell merchandise, but they are unobtrusive and the site as a whole is free.

Everybody loves free stuff and as writers, education is twice as important. Learning new things can not only spark new ideas, but can also give you new inspiration for those old projects. Whether it’s learning about a new language or culture, a new hobby, or just how to use that new word processor, learning is never wasted. Now if you are like me, broke and busy, learning comes mostly through the internet and libraries, but sometimes subjects get complicated, or you don’t know where to start. To that end, here are several websites with free classes and other learning opportunities. Some I have checked out, but some I haven’t had a chance to verify yet. If one of the sites listed here asks you to pay, please drop a comment and let me know so I can remove it. Enjoy!